Tom Pursglove has asked bosses at Corby CCG whether they have considered their positions over the uncertainty of the future of the town’s Urgent Care Centre.

At a meeting earlier this week, it was agreed that the site would stay open in the short term if a deal can be agreed between the CCG and site operators Lakeside+.

Mr Pursglove said he was happy that ‘common sense had prevailed’ but has been highly critical of the actions of the CCG’s governing body.

In an open letter to chief executive Carole Deghani, he said: “As you know, I strongly believe that it is essential that urgent care provision is retained within our town for the longer term.

“We are experiencing significant housing growth and the impact that the Corby Urgent Care Centre has on relieving pressures on the A&E at Kettering General Hospital should not be underestimated.

“Losing these services entirely, or downgrading them, would be a disaster and frankly a betrayal of local people.

“I will continue to campaign robustly alongside local people to this end.

“We also need immediate clarity as to the level to which the CCG’s failings in handling the current Urgent Care Centre contract have exposed local health services to dramatic, unnecessary and self-inflicted reductions, and your intentions around how this will be handled.

“As you will recognise, I am extremely concerned about the current situation and there are many serious questions contained in this letter, which must be answered.

“Finally, have you, and senior managers or members of the governing body, considered your respective positions in light of events in recent weeks?”

In the letter, Mr Pursglove criticises decisions made in private and a lack of consultation with the public before purdah.

He went on to say it was extraordinary that him, Peter Bone and and Philip Hollobone had apparently been kept in the dark, questioned whether the CCG had considered the impact any closure would have on KGH and the levels of pay CCG executives receive.